The Whirlpool Healer
by KakashiSensei69
Summary: A young boy from Cianwood City loses parents who gave everything to see him change the world. After a fateful encounter on his 18th birthday, Hiru and his Slowpoke named Ward, unwillingly get pulled into an adventure that will alter the course of history.
1. Ward

The sand on the beach was anything but static as the ever-wild waters from Route 41 splashed the vibrantly multicolored shores just East of Cianwood City. The wingulls let their calls dance in the summer air while the various ships came and went into the mysterious Whirlpool Isles.

The port was alive with various people and sailors all gathering around the pokecenter to prepare for future journeys out to sea. Many locals thrived on this constant cash flow that this group of sailors and swimmers brought.

A gym was established on the island due to its challenging approach for would-be champions. Many thought the gym was going to be water type due to the ocean, but a young and powerful trainer named Chuck quickly rose to become the gym leader. His primeape and poliwrath were undefeated among the local battlers, and so the fighting gym was erected. Many trainers tried to challenge Chuck, but his strength of body was only surpassed by his strength in battle.

An old pokemon explorer named Kirk was very revered by the townsfolk for his rare pokemon, sneasel. He loves to tell people about his journey to with his trusted friend at his side, a shuckle named Shuckie. Those we see him can all but tell how much love is woven into the fabric of the relationships with his pokemon.

Cameron the photographer also has a home on Cianwood's beach. Tales of his photography have spread far and wide, and his had grown more famous than the island could contain. Now he only comes back every blue moon in the hopes he can picture a mythic pokemon.

The ebbs and flows around the Pokemon Seer's house are ever mystical. She offers trainers a chance to glimpse at the moment a pokemon was born, the moment a pokemon met its trainer, or a significant moment in the pokemon's life. Many people travel from across the world to better understand the psyche of their pokemon.

Yet the most famous attraction of all is Cianwood's mythical city pharmacy. Having been started over 500 years in the past, the pharmacy is a beacon of light for many people and pokemon alike. The herbs that grow on the island have been utilized in special formulas which have been passed down from generation to generation on the island. The particular method is one that takes many years to learn and very few have the ability and patience to master such a talent. Leah is the most recent medical expert that inhabits the island, and she spends her days fostering hurt and lost pokemon. Often many come to seek her training or aide with ailing pokemon.

Today, in particular, was a very unique event in Cianwood. A young couple arrived with high hopes of raising their soon to be born baby in the mystical city. Having very little change in their routines, the townsfolk were eager to bring someone new to the small community. The father seemed to have boundless energy and within a month of their arrival had a home built from the ground up.

The couple quickly made themselves known to everyone in a very short time frame. Kirk's sneasel quickly met a good training partner in the wife's Nuzleaf. The Poke Seer saw only kindness in the events of the pokemon the couple brought. Chuck was floored by the power within the husband's pokemon. After a drawn out battle, the husband's Rhydon and Tauros were able to beat Chuck.

However, the couple took a keen liking to Leah's pharmacy. Each visited daily and helped her with the pokemon she would find. The husband would gather the herbs while the wife helped keep track of the newly found pokemon. After a few months both husband and wife were near experts on the island's pharmaceutical ways.

Then the birth of their boy brought a new sense of love to the small city.

The boy was oddly quiet for a newborn, only crying very rarely. His light hazel eyes would dart across the room, scanning every nook and cranny with his vision. His lightly sun-kissed skin was brimming with a warmth, almost as if Cianwood's life had been sewed into his being. The blue hue of his hair was nearly identical to the Whirlpool Isle's. They took it as a blessing from Lugia. After much discussion, the parents decided to call their son Hiru.

Hiru grew up amidst the various pokemon brought to the pharmacy for healing and care taking. The island almost never had other children, so he grew to be mature for his age. That said, whenever another kid would come to the island, he would always try to make new friends. The Olivine lighthouse was a beacon that called out to Hiru. He knew many kids went on amazing pokemon adventures when they were of age.

His parents grew worried that the island wouldn't provide a vibrant enough experience for Hiru, so they began to work on digging out a tunnel to the west. Many of the villagers pitched in to help the couple realize their vision.

After Hiru turned 8, the couple opened up the first official Safari Zone in the Johto region. Many years of hard work and collecting pokemon from sailors had finally paid off. The tourism coming into the island nearly tripled with the opening of the Safari Zone, and the parents felt like their son would have a safe place to adventure while growing.

The call of the lighthouse was stronger than anything Hiru had experienced to that point, however. He had begged his parents to consider letting him capture a pokemon and travel the rest of the world.

Two years came and went, and finally on Hiru's 10th birthday, both of his parents decided to let him begin his journey. He was so excited he quickly ran out to the ocean and pointed at the lighthouse.

"I'm coming to figure out what makes you and everything else in this world tick!"

However, the only stipend was that the parents would pick his first pokemon.

"Son," his father began. "I want this pokemon to be a reminder of how much we want you to challenge the world. To take something you see and make it better."

His mother smirked before adding, "We also want you to touch the lives of people and pokemon with your heart, Hiru. We know you're ready."

Hiru wiped a tear away and hugged his parents.

"I'll change the world, just watch me!" He chuckled, making two very tightly balled fists.

That night, his parents set off into the Whirlpool Isles. They had been calm of late and they wanted to search there for a pokemon that would allow Hiru to remind himself of the great things near his home and region.

A day went by. Then a week. Then a month. Hiru anxiously waited every day by the oceans edge for the return of his parents, but they never came. The waters surrounding the Whirlpool Isle's were growing more and more unruly. The sailors stopped coming to town and the young trainers couldn't cross the forboding waters.

After two months of waiting, Hiru was taken in by Leah. She began to teach him the same healing arts she taught his parents. He would throw himself into his studies and push everyone but Leah away.

"Are you going to go after them?" She asked one evening.

"No," Hiru responded curtly. "If they come back, I am going to be here. That's the only thing I can do for them. Getting lost would only worry them... like they.." He trailed off before falling into another silence.

The next morning, a small pokemon was seen emerging from the now chaotic storm of the Whirlpool Isles. As it got closer to the beach, Hiru's gaze focused on it. Slowly he made out a slowpoke that was struggling against the pull of the storms behind him towards the city.

Hiru quickly dove into the water and swam towards it. Many of the cities inhabitants quickly ran out of their homes.

"Hiru!" Leah called out in vein.

"Don't tell me he's going after them now..." Kirk muttered. He was shivering with fear, causing his sneasel and Shuckie to shiver as well.

"No. He's doing what he's best at. Saving lives."

Kirk and Leah turned to see Chuck standing with his arms crossed. His facial expression was one of admiration and respect.

Before long, Hiru came upon the slowpoke who was nearly going to collapse from fatigue.

"Climb on my back, slowpoke! We're going to get you to safety!" Hiru called out to the slowpoke who seemed to latch onto his voice. It followed his command and grabbed onto his back.

"Goodness gracious, you're heavy!"

After a very drawn out struggle against the waves, Hiru and slowpoke made it to sure. The townsfolk quickly gathered around and made sure they were both alright.

"That was incredibly dangerous, Hiru. What if you had gotten taken into the Isles?" Leah moaned as she hugged him.

"What if he did?" Hiru quickly responded, placing a hand on slowpoke. It seemed very fulfilled, as if he just accomplished a lifelong promise.

The slowpoke seemed to only want to be around Hiru for the next few weeks, following him on his daily routine of watching the Whirlpool Isle's and helping at the pharmacy. They were inseparable. At some point, Hiru began to train with slowpoke, taking on the role of trainer. Despite its name, slowpoke seemed very quick to learn and grasp very complex battle moves.

"Well we know one thing, slowpoke. You're a great swimmer." The slowpoke seemed overtly pleased with this assessment.

The years seemed to go by at an incredibly fast speed. Tomorrow was Hiru's 18th birthday and no signs of his parents coming back were there. The years of community had helped him cope, but the loneliness that gripped his heart was becoming unbearable. The yearn for an adventure seemed too far gone for Hiru, as if he had missed the train for the journey he had hoped to see come to fruition.

 _I'll change the world! Just watch me!_

His own words had made him choke up. They brought back memories of his failed promise, but more importantly of his absent parents.

The Pokemon Seer came to visit on this morning. She knocked on the door apprehensively.

"Hiru, I need to speak with you," She quietly informed. Hiru nodded without saying a word and led her into the family's home. The slowpoke followed them into the living room.

"I had a dream last night, and I saw something. You're a man now, Hiru. It would be wrong of me to hold this from you at all. I am going to show you your slowpoke's birth."

"His birth? What would that matter?" Hiru quickly barked back defensively.

"You must decide that yourself. Now hold your slowpoke, boy."

Hiru narrowed his gaze for a few moments. The air of uncertainty translated into his slowpoke until he turned and nodded. The slowpoke anxiously crawled onto Hiru's lap and rested. The two of them closed their eyes and the Pokemon Seer placed her hands on them both.

* * *

 _A great white light nearly blinds Hiru. His vision seems cloudy and no matter how many times he rubs his eyes, he can't seem to see anything. The great white void sinks his spirit to a new low as panic begins to set in._

 _Suddenly there is a small crack against the white expanse. He sees a small pink object dart towards the crawl with the exact same panic as his own. It hits the crack which expands it. Soon he hears a familiar voice._

 _"It's hatching!" Hiru's mother cheered. "It's going to hatch!"_

 _"Let's hope he's got the same spirit as Hiru." His father proudly chortled. There was a group of slowpoke surrounding them, looking very happy at the direction of Hiru._

 _"Here." His mother gently placed her necklace around the young slowpoke's neck. "Please be our son's first pokemon. His name is Hiru. He's got deep blue hair, hazel eyes, and a spirit that could change the world. This necklace is our good luck charm. I know that it will get to Hiru and let him know we're still watching him. You're his warden, now."_

 _Hiru felt a twang of emotion rush over his heart. To see and hear his mother again was overwhelming. Tears flowed down his eyes._

 _The slowpokes suddenly began to panic as the tides began to rise and fall rapidly. The parents worriedly looked back at the young slowpoke._

 _"Listen, son," his father said, looking right at the slowpoke. "We know that it with the Pokemon Seer, you may be able to see this. Know that we love you very much. No matter what happens that will never change."_

 _The wave finally crashed into the parents and they began to fall into the whirlpool. After a tight embrace, they went together down into the deep blue isles._

 _Hiru cried out for them as he watched them go full under. Then, amidst his grief, he noticed the small slowpoke struggling against the same current. Despite its overwhelming effort, it could not escape and was pulled down into the water._

 _The darkness clutched onto Hiru and he couldn't help but feel that he was going to die. The bubbles around him rose in all different directions and the incredible noise of whirling water overwhelmed his senses._

 _Before long, he saw an eye in the darkness. It slowly melted into a purple fuzz and a call ripped through the waters. The rush was as jarring as when Hiru entered the water. A force pushed the slowpoke so hard that the necklace it had on was released into the darkness. Hiru watched as it disappeared into the darkness._

 _Suddenly he saw the surface. He could feel that all the strength this slowpoke had was being used to rush towards salvation on the surface._

 _Once it broke into the air, it quickly began to gasp. Floating and breathing were all that could be done. After awhile, it knew that it couldn't paddle itself afloat forever. With the only landmass being straight ahead, it began to paddle._

 _Soon a figure approached on the waters. It came up to the slowpoke and quickly shouted, "Climb on my back, slowpoke. We're going to get you to safety!"_

 _Th-that's me, Hiru thought._

* * *

Without warning, they were back in the house. His slowpoke seemed to be very calm while resting. Hiru had tears fully streaming down his face.

"Th-they're alive.. they have to be!" He quietly cried. The Pokemon Seer stood up and bowed.

"I do believe they are as well, Hiru. But it seems they wanted you to change the world, still. With this pokemon that they chose for you."

"I-I can't. If they're alive... I have to be here..."

"That, Hiru, is something you must choose on your own." The Pokemon Seer left the boy and his pokemon.

That night, Hiru told Leah the entire story.

"Sounds like this slowpoke was meant to find you, Hiru. Just like you're meant to find your parents."

"I can't leave the island. They'll find me here. Plus, I'm almost better than you at using our special herbs. The Pharmacy would easily fall behind without me."

"Hiru.. what if you're meant to find your parents like slowpoke found you?"

He gave it a quick thought but a bit of guilt hit him.

"I can't just have an adventure while my parents could be in danger. It wouldn't feel right."

The slowpoke walked over and rested near his feet. Leah smiled gently and gave his slowpoke a tastey treat, something he couldn't resist. As it quickly finished the small candy, it stood happily by Hiru.

"He really is your ward against the troubles of your heart." Leah giggled. Hiru's eye sparkled when she said that.

"Ward." He turned to the slowpoke as if he had just laid eyes on a brand new discovery. "I'll call you Ward from now on. We're both going to be with our parents again before we're done, Ward. You can count on it."

* * *

A/N - I plan to take the story to a very fun place! I do plan for this to be a bit more of a romantic journey as well, so if you're into that you'll like this a lot! I had to set up the very sad backdrop for Hiru's character to come to life! Let's see what comes next for Hiru and Ward!

Any reviews are much appreciated! Thank you for reading!

Dezz


	2. Vortex

The bright sun covered the sleeping island with its warm blanket. The sands continued to dance as the rapidly crashing waves tried to grasp further inland. A few calls from the local pokemon pierced through the air.

Hiru rose particularly early that day, waiting on the sands of Cianwood's beach for any signs of movement on the disturbed sea. He could still make out the shimmers of the lighthouse dissipating into the morning sun when Ward suddenly leapt on his back. They both fell into the sand, which got all over Hiru's hair.

"Aw jeez, Ward!" Hiru chuckled lightly. "You honestly know the best ways to say happy birthday. Let's try not eating my entire cake this year, ok?" Ward gallantly shuffled his weight back and fourth. Hiru stood and scratched the eager Slowpoke before making his way back into town.

He knew Leah, the woman who raised him for the last eight years, would have something planned. She wasn't the type to let special occasions pass by without event. As Hiru approached the pharmacy that morning, he saw the locals gathered.

"Happy Birthday!" A chorus of voices rang out as Hiru and Ward walked into the pharmacy. Kirk came over with his two pokemon and vigorously cheered. Chuck nearly stole the show when he lifted two rocks in the middle of the party. The Pokemon Seer watched from a small corner, a mixed look of happiness and worry on her face. Even Cameron decided to stop by and take some commemorative photos for his collection.

Leah strolled casually up to Hiru and offered him a soda. He accepted it and, as always, poured a little into a dish for Ward first.

"You're getting quite old, Hiru," Leah commented. "You should be out there exploring what the world has to offer."

"We both know why that can't happen." Hiru sighed, a bit off put.

"The world is ailing, Hiru. As a healer, that's something that we can see. Maybe we are the only types of people who can fix that. No one in the world has our herbs, you know." She winked at him before joining the party.

Ward looked up, splashing soda onto Hiru.

"Oh gross, Ward!" Hiru grunted as he quickly backed up. He shook the drops off as a few people giggled at the sight. Ward seemed pleased with himself. Then, without transition, his eyes became glued to the sea.

Hiru quickly understood and took off onto the beach. Before people could rush out to see where he went, Hiru and Ward were in the water.

"We've trained for this, Ward. Time to put it into practice!" Ward barked back a determined comply and Hiru moved onto Ward's back.

"He taught him how to surf..." Chuck whispered.

Leah scratched her head and gave a small grin. "Yeah. It didn't take long. Those two have a special bond. But what are they doing?"

Suddenly a small ship was seen exiting the tempest of the Whirling Isles. Two figures could be seen attempting desperately to keep the small ship they had afloat.

Breaking the waves, Ward rushed Hiru towards the oncoming travelers. As they got closer the figures slowly came into focus.

Two young girls were struggling to overcome the pull of the mighty vortex. One had a small mudkip using water gun to attempt to propel the ship and the other had poliwag using its tail to steer.

As he was nearly upon them, he could make out their features. The taller had hair that went to her shoulders in a dirty blonde hue. Her figure was very fit but not bulked. She wore a loose fitting shirt with shorts and had the newest running shoes strapped on her feet.

The other girl was holding on for dear life to the side of the tiny ship and the first girl. Her hair was up in a pony tail. She had a sundress on with pair of shorts underneath. The waves crashed around her dark purple hair. Her figure was on the border of becoming too frail, but she wasn't quite there yet. Her grip onto the ship and componion proved that.

Hiru quickly jumped from Ward onto the small ship and yelled, "Let Ward get you to shore!"

The blonde girl's eyes grew furious. "Did you just say, 'let the lord get you, you whore'?! I should smack..!" A wave cut her off as they all nearly fell from the impact. Ward knew he had to act right then. He quickly moved to the back of the ship and used surf.

The ship went flying towards the shore. The girls and their pokemon let lose a primal scream as they crashed into the shore, sending everyone flying. The blonde landed face first into the sand with her shy companion coming to a stop next to her. The poliwag was rolling around in the sand and mudkip landed on her owners butt.

Hiru gracefully landed feet first and Ward triumphantly strode to his side. The shy girl slowly looked up as the blonde kicked her feet, knocking the mudkip off, before surging from her hole.

"What are you trying to do, kill us?!" she cried, spitting sand from her mouth and rubbing her eyes vehemantly.

Hiru couldn't help but hold back his laughter as he replied, "N-no.. I was just trying to help you guys get to shore." He turned quickly before she could see him about to lose it at the sight of her and her mudkip spitting sand.

"Thank you," the shy girl finally added. They both looked down at her and her poliwag. "My name is Maggie and this is my poliwag, Waddle." Waddle made a small squeak before retreating to her owners lap.

"Hi, I'm Hiru. This guy who saved your lives is Ward." Ward elegantly bowed, before falling forward slowly into the sand. He quickly shook his head before smiling agian.

The blonde crossed her arms and turned her nose up. "We had it handled." Hiru quickly swaggered up to her.

"Looked to me like you were about to fly head first into the storm."

"You... all you did was save us some time." She looked a bit embarrassed at the proximity of Hiru's face. "This amazing pokemon is Gracie, the best Mudkip you'll ever see. My name is Hailey."

"So I'll call you hail," Hiru quickly interjected, "because you seem to hit like a storm of hail."

Hailey stomped her foot and held a fist up to Hiru.

Suddenly the party of Cianwood residence appeared on the scene. Leah ran up and hugged Hiru before dropping down to pet Ward.

"Excuse me," Hailey announced to the group. "I'm Hailey, and this is Maggie. We've been sent by our families in Lavaridge Town to find the Cianwood pharmacy. The town seems to have a sickness that no local medicines can heal."

The various people began to mutter to themselves. Leah stood and nodded.

"I'm Leah, the current pharmacy healer. We can send medicines with you back home." She looked at Hiru expectantly. "But, you're going to have to learn how to use it."

Maggie twiddled her fingers before Hailey crossed her arms, visibly nervous.

"I can only spend a day learning. Hopefully that will be enough."

Hiru knew that was no where near enough. He spent the last eight years doing nearly nothing else and he only felt moderately comfortable using the special healing herbs. Ward looked to Hiru as if he was waiting for an answer.

The rest of the afternoon Leah spent with Hailey and Maggie trying to teach them a crash course on the intricacies of the medicine. Hiru watched while Ward played with Waddle and Gracie. Whenever the girls needed a break, Leah would bring treats for the three. Ward only left Hiru's side to claim his beloved treat before returning.

That night, the girls were hard at work repairing their small vessel. Leah and Hiru were giving them a hand as they prepared to journey back home the next day.

"They're not ready," Hiru cautioned. "They barely even know how to use potions, much less our herbs."

Leah shook her head. "If only we had someone that knew how to use the herbs properly that was young enough to travel."

"I know where you're going with this. You know I can't leave here, Leah. Even if they are more likely to kill a pokemon than save it." Hiru looked torn. Dusk fell minutes before, and the glimmer of the lighthouse was visible beyond the chaotic waves.

He turned to leave, Ward right by his side. Leah came over to see that the girls were safely stocked on the herbs.

"E-excuse me," asked Maggie. Leah turned, curious about hearing the girls soft voice.

"Yes, dear?"

"Could we have some of those pokemon candies for the road... I know Waddle loves them." Waddle wiggled a bit with excitement.

"Of course! I'll give you plenty for the road." She handed them to both girls before leaving.

Maggie let out a weary sigh before handing most of them to Hailey.

"Let's hope that Leah's right about this," Hailey said, sighing as she put some of the candies in her pockets.

Hiru woke up an hour before the sun would hit the island, as usual. He was a whole year older now, so he figured he'd try to change his routine.

But not yet.. he thought to himself as he looked out the window to see the last glimmers of the lighthouse before dawn. It was always such a surreal moment, being able to see the huge beacon of light at such a far distance. Sailors would often say that if it wasn't for that light, they could be lost for days. Ever since the Whirling Isle's became so rough, however, most sailors end up lost before they get to Cianwood.

He reached up to grab some fruit for himself and Ward. He quickly peeled an orange and tossed half on the ground. After a minute he realized he didn't hear the familiar slurping noise that he was used to.

Panicking, he rushed out onto the beach.

"Ward? Ward!?" He caught sight of the tiny vessel slowly making it's way to the south. Behind it, wading slowly towards some candy, was Ward.

Without thinking, Hiru leaped into the water and swam as fast as he could towards the girls. He felt anxious, yet for some reason an overwhelming sense of freedom came over him during his chase. He had felt like the island would be his home for the rest of his life, and now something inside told him otherwise.

Without a word, Hiru jumped on board the ship. There was Hailey, luring his unsuspecting friend Ward onto the ship. Maggie turned and gasped at the soaked man on board their ship.

"She told me you'd come if he did," Hailey stated calmly. Hiru looked back towards the beach and saw Leah waving.

A large sigh came from Hiru as he glanced at Ward. The sense of wonder that he saw within the small slowpoke's eyes was more then enough to figure out what he wanted.

"Alright, alright," He uttered, as if talking to Leah. "I'm only doing this to make sure your pokemon don't die when you try to heal them. Then I'm coming home."

The girls cheered and hugged him. Having not had many interactions with girls his age, Hiru got flustered and tried to squirm out of the embrace to no avail. Ward, Waddle, and Gracie jumped around their feet together.

They set off to the south, but their ship was not strong enough to avoid the Whirling Isle's anymore. The ship began to lurch menacingly towards the spinning pools of water.

"We have to do what we did before, Ward. This time let's aim towards the south!"

Hailey clutched the sides of the boat. "This time, try not to kill us!" Maggie nodded in agreement.

Before Ward was ready to go, a huge wave crashed in front of the ship. Hiru was not expecting it and was thrust backwards off the ship. As he hit the water, an all too familiar feeling washed over him.

The water around him was chaotic and dark. The currents pulled him in all directions and he soon began to feel the same foreboding doom that Ward had felt before coming to the isles. Flashes of his mother's necklace came rushing back to Hiru as he struggled to find his bearings.

Then a pulsing purple eye caught his.

The roar was deafening, amplified by the fear already in Hiru's heart. Then the aftershock sent him crashing backwards in the water. It felt like he was piercing through at breakneck speeds.

Once the momentum stopped pushing him, he realized he was going to pass out and drown if he didn't get to the surface. He struggled to find what direction the light was coming from, but when he saw a glimmer he took off towards it. In the last second before his body was pushed too far, he broke into the air.

Coughing, Hiru quickly tried to stay afloat.

The air was thick with fog, so much so he couldn't see but a few feet in front of his face. An eerie aura filled his being as he glanced around the dense mists. He could hear a faint noise of splashing nearby and swam in that direction. Soon he came upon a small sandy island and quickly scrambled ashore. It was no larger than his old home, so he knew that it wasn't his final stop, but at least he could rest.

He leaned back, closed his eyes, and tears began coming out.

 _I'll never forgive myself if I lose you, too, Ward._

Just as he was about to let the tears flow, he heard a noise. An angry looking mudkip came sprawling from the fog and hurriedly ashore, dragging Maggie with her.

"Oh my goodness, Gracie. You saved her?" Gracie looked very proud and produced a huge bag of Cianwood herbs from it's mouth. It then collapsed with exhaustion. "You've saved more than her with this."

Hiru quickly set up a spot to lay Maggie down and tried to resuscitate her. Once she coughed up water, she quickly hugged Hiru.

"I'm so scared," was all she could mutter when she was in the embrace. Shivering, she clutched to Hiru. He soothed her as he glanced around at the surreal surroundings.

"Did you see if the others made it?" Hiru asked.

"I couldn't see much of anything, to be honest. I just remember a purple eye and a loud booming roar."

Hiru's heart grew heavy with fear. He hugged he closer, this time to try and gain some semblance of comfort for himself.

Finally, they released their hug and started to see the fog lift.

"Looks like they may have come this way as well then. Let's try to gather our strength and swim to that huge.. is that a volcano?"

A monumental mountain looking shape emerged from the clearing fog and the island they were near became visable. It looked as if the swim to the island was sizable yet managable if they took things slow. He used on of the herbs on the three of them to give them a bit of strength to make the journey and they were off.

Every now and then Maggie looked as if she was getting tuckered out, so Hiru would allow her to rest upon his back as they continued. Gracie was giving off the impression that she wanted no help at all, determined to make the swim.

After what seemed like hours, they reached the beaches of the island. It was very clearly a volcano, unlike anything Hiru had seen before. Maggie fell on her back to catch her breath, but joined Hiru in being awestruck by the huge landmass. Trying her best to hide it, Gracie curled into a ball to rest a bit from the arduios swim.

"So you've never left your home?" Maggie finally asked amidst the silence.

"No. I've always been there. Ever since I was born."

"I-I see," she muttered as she looked back down at the sand. Her wet ponytail was somehow still looking cute despite the horrifying journey it had been on. Hiru noticed that her eyes seemed to talk a lot more than she did. She placed a hand into the wet sands and attempted to grasp a clump. It fell out from her careful clutch back to where it came from.

Soon enough they were rested enough to walk. Dusk was coming so Hiru knew they had to find some sort of shelter. After a bit of walking they came upon what looked to be a pile of wood.

"Th-that's our ship," Maggie whimpered. Hiru quickly ran over to the wreckage to see what could find. It was empty, but there were no signs of anyone being significantly injured.

Gracie looked exhausted and Maggie was freezing. Hiru knew this would have to be their camp tonight.

"Let's try and start a fire. We'll have to stay here tonight." He began to break off pieces of wood and gather it into a fire. Leah had taught him how to build them because various fire types would need the warmth to stay comfortable. Once started, Maggie and Gracie quickly fell into a deep sleep, leaving Hiru on watch.

 _I will find you, Ward. I won't lose someone again._

* * *

A/N - I had a blast starting this chapter! I got a few very helpful tips on my writing style from the prologue which I tried to carry over to this opening chapter! It still seems a bit dramatic for me but I'm going to try to lighten the mood every now and then with this story!

Reviews are always welcomed and encouraged! Thanks for reading.

Dezz


End file.
